Catalogue of the Alexandria Library Company, 1801
Scope and Contents
The 1801 catalog corresponds to the title numbers 1-452 in the circulations records from around 1802-1808 and offers the number of volumes and value for each. It is hard to be precise since the dates on which it came into and fell out of use at the library are unknown. The fact that books were removed as well as added at the time of its adoption and its organization suggest that it may not be reliable for the 1794-1796 circulation records, and possibly not even for books circulating earlier in 1801 which were likely identified by an earlier catalog.
In addition to a listing of books, the catalog includes the revised act of incorporation dated September 1799, the laws of the company passed on 2 November 1801 and an alphabetical membership list.
At the back is a list of book donations from largest to smallest, including the name of the donor, the total number of volumes donated, and a list of title numbers, along with an index to the catalog and some errata.
It was printed by Cottom and Stewart in Alexandria and sold for fifty cents a copy.
Dates
- Publication: 1801
Extent
From the Collection: 7.75 Linear Feet (15 boxes) : 12.5 legal size boxes, 1 oversize box, and one record storage carton of audio-visual material. ; Oz 25 x 20 x 2.5
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
Arrangement of the 452 numbers is by subject and size. Within each size category the arrangement is unclear. The categories are as follows:
- Civil History, Voyages and Travels, Biography, Antiquities, Geography, and Maps etc. (p.13)
- Folios (1-9)
- Quartos (10-24)
- Octavos (25-109)
- Duodecima and Infra (110-151)
- Ecclesiastical History, Theology, Didactic Pieces, Moral Philosophy, and Metaphysics (p.29)
- Folios (152-154)
- Quartos (155-156)
- Octavos (157-188)
- Duodecima and Infra (189-218)
- Arts and Sciences, Natural History, Natural Philosophy, and Miscellaneous Literature (p. 35)
- Folios (219-222)
- Quartos (223-225)
- Octavos (226-266)
- Duodecima and Infra (267-293)
- Law, Politics, Political Economy, Agriculture, Commerce, etc. (p.42)
- Folios (294-295)
- Quartos (296)
- Octavos (297-326)
- Duodecima and Infra (327-338)
- Poetry, Plays, Belles Lettres, and Criticism etc. (p.47)
- Octavos (339-353)
- Duodecima and Infra (354-385)
- Novels and Romances (p.52)
- Octavos (386)
- Duodecimas and Infra (387-427)
- Appendix and Supplementary (428-452) (p.54)
Repository Details
Part of the Local History and Special Collections Branch, Alexandria Library Repository